A view of damage in district court in Islamabad after a gun-and-suicide attack on Monday, March 3, 2014. PHOTO: INP
Lawyers on Monday continued their boycott of court proceedings against the city district courts’ attack, which had claimed 12 lives including a judge.
Two suicide bombers blew themselves up on the premises of the district courts on March 3, killing 11 people including District and Sessions Judge Malik Rafaqat Awan on the spot and injuring several others. One of injured died in hospital a few days later.
Soon after the incident, the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) had announced a three-day strike, while the Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) had announced week-long strike.
The week has since past, but the Islamabad layers are continuing their strike.
At a general body meeting of the IDBA on Monday, the lawyers failed to reach a consensus if the strike should be prolonged or not. IDBA President Naseer Ahmed Kayani, however, said the decision has been deferred till Tuesday.
He said that the bar will take a final decision after evaluating security arrangements in the courts. He said that the apex court has also adjourned proceedings of the matter till Tuesday and the bar will take a final decision in view of the court’s verdict.
The Supreme Court had rejected a report submitted by Inspector General of Police on Monday, terming it incomprehensive.
Kayani said that he appeared in the Supreme Court on Monday along with Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Moshin Akhtar Kayani to submit their report of the incident.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has allowed the judicial commission headed by Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui to start its inquiry into the incident.
The judicial commission was formed immediately after the incident by the Islamabad High Court chief justice, but was stopped from going ahead with work after the apex court took suo motu notice of the incident.
When contacted, IHC Registrar Meeran Jan Kakar confirmed that the commission has been allowed to start proceedings. He said that the judicial commission will sit in the city district courts.
Bodyguard sent on judicial remand
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday sent the guard of the slain judge on 10-day judicial remand. Babar Hussain, the official bodyguard of the slain judge, was produced before ATC Judge Attiqur Rehman after his three-day physical remand. On Monday, the police requested the court to send him on judicial remand, saying they had completed their investigation and will submit a charge-sheet in the next hearing.
The court then adjourned till March 21. The media was barred from witnessing the court proceedings.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2014.
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